Under the OIV's high patronage, this conference organised by the Society of Chemistry Experts of France (SECF) and the Association of Oenology Laboratories of Portugal (ALABE) focused on progress in analysis techniques, standards and methods allowing for and guaranteeing the identification and authentication of wines and spirits.
The techniques and tools working together to ensure the traceability of vitiviniculture products aim to better preserve the authenticity and quality of wines, especially when it comes to counterfeits and fraud.
Traceability is meant in a very broad sense and concerns both viticulture as well as the winemaking process, the product itself, its packaging and its distribution. This year, a particular emphasis was placed on the isotopic analysis of wine, the traceability of the cork and of the glass of the bottles.
Wine Track® 2018 was a unique moment of exchange between scientists and materials and equipment providers regarding the current situation and methods available to guarantee the authenticity and traceability of products in the sector and to imagine new solutions.
The importance of guaranteeing the authenticity and traceability of vitivinicultural products
Jean-Claude Ruf, Scientific Coordinator of the OIV, emphasized the importance of guaranteeing the authenticity and traceability of vitivinicultural products in an increasingly globalised market.
Furthermore, he detailed the steps the OIV has already taken in this area, notably through the establishment of international standards related to:
- the definition of products,
- oenological practices and especially the concern for the consumer's safety and for maintaining the authentic character of the wines and their organoleptic qualities,
- labelling rules,
- the establishment of traceability standards,
- the establishment of analytical standards in order to monitor this traceability and these origins.
Following the conference, it was decided that the next edition of Wine Track® will take place in the Champagne region (France) in 2019.